Criminal Justice (BA) Major Resources

The Criminal Justice BA is a research-focused introduction to crime control and prevention. The program requires all students to design and implement an original research study, and places an emphasis on preparing students for graduate study and helping them gain admission to graduate school.

Here you will find:

● Key information about your major

● How and when to meet with your major advisor

● Planning tools that will help you track your progress in the major

● Ways to explore career opportunities related to the CJBA major

Take a few moments to look at the information below. It will help you plan effectively and avoid surprises during your studies at John Jay.

CJBA Requirements

Major Requirements

You are responsible for the major requirements that were in effect when you declared the major. To confirm the requirements you should be following, go to the Undergraduate Bulletin for that academic year. For example, if you declared the CJBA major in Fall 2015 or Spring 2016, you would click on the 2015-2016 Undergraduate Bulletin. If you declared the major and then left the College for more than one full semester, you’re responsible for the major requirements in effect when you return, if they have changed. Not sure when you declared the major? Find out here.

Below, find the Undergraduate Bulletin that was in effect when you declared the major.

General Education Requirements

Year-Round Major Advising

Advising is available year-round, including summer and winter terms. The program office is located in 631 Haaren Hall. CJBA students are welcome to stop by. Transfer students in particular should contact the office as soon as possible, since there are some special issues involved.

The CJBA major advisor for Spring 2019 is Professor Brian Lawton. If you would like to meet with him, his assistant Michael Hourahan (criminaljustice@jjay.cuny.edu) is happy to schedule an appointment for you. Either drop by 631 Haaren Hall or email him. Keep in mind that Professor Lawton does not advise CJBS students.

Registration and Major Holds

Sophomores with 45-59 credits may have a major hold placed on their registration. The hold will be removed when they have an appointment with a major advisor. This discussion will encourage wise planning and allow students to ask any questions they may have about the major. How do you know if you have a major hold? Go to CUNYfirst and complete the following steps:

See which type of advisement you need. If you must see a major advisor, then make a major advising appointment following the steps preferred by this department.

Plan Ahead: Graduate on Time

Avoid Course Planning Mistakes!

The CJBA classes are carefully scaffolded. Try to complete all 100-level classes during your freshman year, all 200-level classes during your sophomore year, and all 300-level classes during your junior year. The major also has several courses that build on each other in a sequence, so it is important to be aware of this and plan accordingly. Keep the following guidelines in mind:

You may take multiple sections of CJBA 380 (Special Topics) as long as they are on different topics. The second section will often be reflected on the transcript as CJBA 381. Note: Degree audits sometimes say that CJBA 381 is required, but there is no such class. Rather, the requirement is that students take two 300-level research courses. Contact the major advisor if your degree audit is in error.

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The CJBA major requires that you write a thesis during your senior year. CJBA 410 (Senior Thesis I) helps you craft a research proposal, and in CJBA 411 (Senior Thesis II) you build on that foundation and write your thesis. The hope is that you will find an area of research that interests you through one of your 300-level research focus classes.

If you are a transfer student, consult with a major adviser after your transfer credits are posted on the John Jay transcript to see if the CJBA major makes sense for you.

Remember that you will need at least a 2.0 in the major and at least a 2.0 overall GPA to graduate.

Monitor Your Progress in the Major

DegreeWorks degree audit - Use this online planning tool to track your overall progress toward graduation. You will see which of your general education and major requirements are completed, in progress, or still needed. Refer to theDegreeWorks FAQs to better understand how to use this helpful tool. Note: be sure to confirm the accuracy of your degree audit with a general academic advisor.

Sample Four Year Plan - See an example of how you could complete all your degree requirements (major, general education, electives) and graduate in four years! Remember that this sample plan shows just one possible way to combine your requirements. Transfer students in particular should work with advisors to determine a plan that works best for them.

Meet with a General Academic Advisor

A General Academic Advisor will confirm what general academic requirements you still need, make suggestions about smart course planning that will help you graduate without delays, discuss your interest in adding a minor or second major, inform you about opportunities such as study abroad, discuss general questions and concerns, and make helpful referrals. Visit the Academic Advisement Center's webpage for more information.

CJBA and Careers

Find a Job or Internship

Networking

Networking is often the most successful way to find an internship or job. Make use of your friends, family, professors, co-workers, classmates, and anyone else you know to see if they have a connection to someone in the field you would like to work in. Many of your current classmates may have already participated in the Academic Internship Program and may still be in contact with their previous supervisors who they can pass along your resume to. Ask around!

Job fairs

Job fairs are another excellent opportunity to make connections with employers. If you are preparing a semester ahead to find your internship, you will have plenty of time to attend the John Jay College Career and Internship Fairoffered each semester. The fair is a great opportunity to make connections, collect business cards, and network for future opportunities.

John Jay Careers Onlineshould be your primary resource for online internship searching. Employers who are specifically interested in hiring John Jay College interns will post their internship positions on John Jay Careers Online. In order to take full advantage of this resource you will need to upload a resume into the system; without it you cannot see the full postings or apply to the positions listed.

There are many other online resources for internship searching. The following websites are particularly useful for John Jay students looking for internships:

Career Guidance

The Center for Career and Professional Development is a great resource for all questions related to job searches, internships, and career preparation. CCPD staff are available to meet individually with students and alumni in L72.00 New Building. To request a 45-minute counseling appointment, log on to John Jay Careers Online. 15-minute drop-in sessions are available all day Mon-Fri. Stop by in person earlier the same day to schedule a drop-in session.

Graduate School Resources

Students should use their time during college to start researching their intended graduate program. The Graduate Admissions Office offers information sessions for students interested in John Jay’s graduate programs. Students can also visit the admissions websites for graduate programs at other institutions.

The Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program encourages low income and first generation students (as well as students from underrepresented populations) to pursue graduate study, providing academically enriching experiences and mentoring to prepare students for graduate school admission and eventual doctoral study. Contact Nazia Fyazi, Program Assistant (nfyazi@jjay.cuny.edu / 212-237-8765) or Dr. Ernest Lee, Associate Director (elee@jjay.cuny.edu / 212-237-8760).

Pre-Law Institute and Center for Post-Graduate Opportunities

Students interested in going to law school can receive tailored advising and learn about development opportunities from the Pre-Law Institute and Center for Post-Graduate Opportunities. This center also provides advising for non-law related fellowships and graduate school applications. John Jay students and alumni who would like to make an appointment with a pre-law advisor may do so either by stopping by the Pre-Law Institute and Center for Post-Graduate Opportunities in 8.66 NB, signing up on ouradvisement page or emailing pli@jjay.cuny.edu.

The Ronald H. Brown Law School Prep Program

The Ronald H. Brown Law School Prep Program (in collaboration with St. John's University School of Law) prepares students for the challenges of law school, the LSAT, and the law school application process. The Sophomore Program includes law school courses taught by actual law school faculty, internships with judges and lawyers working in a variety of practice settings. The Junior Program engages students in a comprehensively designed LSAT prep course. Both programs help give the Ronald H. Brown Prep Program students an edge in the admissions process. Contact Gabriela Ramirez-Vargas at gramirezvargas@jjay.cuny.edu or 212-237-8710.